GWERU residents in ward 10 have written a petition to council over non-collection of refuse and have threatened to take the matter up with Local Government minister Ignatius Chombo if the issue is not addressed urgently.
Report by Stephen Chadenga
Gweru Residents and Ratepayers Association (GRRA) chairperson Cornelia Selipiwe wrote the letter dated February 22 and was signed by 34 residents.
The letter was addressed to ward councillor Amon Munacho and copied to Town Clerk Daniel Matawu, Director of Health Services and Mayor Tedious Chimombe.
“We, as ward 10 residents are writing to you to register our displeasure in the erratic way you are collecting refuse. We have noted with great concern that we have plenty dumping sites. This has been a result of non-collection of refuse. We demand action to be taken now before people get sick. Be advised we won’t hesitate to take the matter up to the minister if action is not taken,” reads part of the letter.
Contacted for comment yesterday, Chimombe attributed poor service delivery to financial challenges facing the local authority, particularly procuring spares for refuse trucks.
“There have been challenges in procuring spares for our refuse trucks, especially between December and January,” he said.
Chimombe, however, blasted Selipiwe, who is MDC-T Midlands South youth provincial information and publicity officer, for “politicking”.
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“I know he is aspiring to be ward 10 councillor. Can’t he just concentrate on winning primary elections first? If elected councillor then we know he has the people at heart,” he said.
But Selipiwe maintained that the city fathers had failed to deliver efficient service to the residents, accusing them of looting council resources for personal gain.
Chimombe is among MDC-T councillors who were fired last year from the party for alleged corruption.
